Band: Through Your Silence
Title: The Zenith Distance
Label: Twilight Vertrieb
Distribution: Bertus
Release date: September 3rd 2011
Review: CD

Next year, the Italian band Through Your Silence will celebrate its tenth anniversary. The formation, originating from Milan, started as a crossover of Hardcore and modern Death Metal, but they evolved into a Death Metal / Metalcore hybrid throughout your silence, eh, throughout the years. There was a mini-album in 2005 (Winter Came), which didn’t really made it outside Italy’s borders, and in 2008, My Kingdom Music released the debut full length, Whispers To The Void. It brought a nice combination of Swedish-influenced melodic Death Metal and American Metalcore with, in a modest yet decent way, an own approach.
(confession: even I wasn’t completely allergic to this album, with a final score of 75/100 as result – if a subjective score might mean something).
The sophomore album, called The Zenith Distance, goes only very limitedly on in the vein of the debut, yet with an enormous progression on several matters. First of all one cannot deny the matured song structures. Indeed, the compositions are much more technical, somewhat the avant-garde / progressive way. The total performance is above expectations, with an increased interaction (better balanced!) between the members, putting an even-minded stamp on each single song. Another remarkable fact, yet I think it is a positive one, is the use of those keyboards (by session musician Roberto). These ones are omni-present, yet very subtle, although indispensable. It is the main reason why The Zenith Distance’s approach sounds more symphonic-orchestral. And it fits well with the intensity of the mostly fast and intense hymns.
No, there’s no reason to call this ‘just’ Death Metal or Metalcore, because this material goes beyond any border.
By the way, I also need to mention the sound. Whispers To The Void was too clean, really over-mixed, but that’s not the case in here, or at least not completely. The production is flawless but not that ridiculously overdone anymore, and I cannot but appreciate this decision.
Seriously, in comparison to the debut, this recording is a huge step forward, and at least definable as ‘multi-dimensional’.

83/100

Ivan Tibos.